


A Matter of Time

by rainysunshine



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 20:50:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16794511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainysunshine/pseuds/rainysunshine
Summary: Tessa says goodbye to Scott as he leaves for Florida.





	A Matter of Time

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is dedicated to my fanfic writing brothers and sisters who are still going to continue writing even after yesterday's events.
> 
> I raise a glass to you

“Sure you got everything? Did you miss anything?” **  
**

The hubbub in the international airport drowns her voice, filled with big luggages milling about and with passengers’ hurried voices checking in at the last minute, but they’re standing so close to one another he hears everything.

He adjusts the grey coat he’s wearing (over his cashmere blue sweater) that’s falling to one side. “Nah,” he reassures her, patting on the small black luggage he’s holding. “Checked more than twice, T. I got this.” He smiles at her, face in his usual adorable scrunch, and Tessa's heart soars just looking at him.

She really doesn’t deserve him.

“Besides,” he continues with a shrug. “What’s a short-” He laughs, running his fingers through his hair, highlighting his gold wedding band. “- a short 4-hour flight, eh?”

It takes all of Tessa’s self-control not to touch his hair.

“Passport?”

“Check.”

“Toiletries?”

“Checky- check.”

“First-aid kit? You never know-”

She’s answered with a surprising, bone-crushing hug accompanied with Scott’s boisterous laugh that’s too loud even for a crowded airport. She feels warmth all over, even if he’s lightly making fun of her obsessive checklist.

“I’ll be fine, T,” he whispers into her ear, lips just barely grazing her own.

Tessa doesn’t answer. And instead chooses to rest her forehead on his shoulder. Breathing in his familiar scent.

_Let him go, Tessa._

She takes another breath.

_No._

He does it for her.

“Hey,” he softly questions her, looking down so he’s staring into her eyes. “You okay? You know I’m not going that far right? It’s just Florida.”

_It’s just Florida._

He looks at her with so much concern Tessa almost begs him not to leave.

_Almost._

“Yea! No! I mean- of course I know that, Scott. I’m okay. I’m going to be fine,” she explains without looking into his eyes.

She should’ve known he knows her much better than that.

“If you want me to stay-”

_Yes._

“No! Please- don’t,” she quickly stutters before she could say anything else to make him change his mind. He deserves this. “No- no- go. I know you want to. Please go.”

Scott searches the lie in her eyes for a moment, before sighing and opening his arms once more. He wraps his arms tightly, comforting, around her petite body, flooding a rush of warmth from Tessa’s head to her toes. When he leans down to kiss her on her hair, she clings a little tighter.

_You made a decision, Tessa. A choice. Now you have to make your bed and lie in it._

“I’m gonna miss you,” he whispers once again to her ear.

She closes her eyes.

“Miss you too,” she manages to choke out.

_More than you know._

Tessa finally pulls away and avoids Scott’s eyes so he wouldn’t be able to see the uncontrollable tears brimming. “Now go,” she instructs him after clearing her throat. “Don’t want to miss that flight.”

Scott nods hesitantly and picks up his carry-on bag.

“Hey.”

She looks up.

“You know I’ll see you again before you know it.”

She nods, taking in Scott’s tired feature after the long, tiring TYCT they just finished a week ago. Florida would be good for him.

“I know.”

The smile he gives makes Tessa want to cry again.

* * *

“Mommy? Why are you crying?”

Tessa doesn’t even notice the little figure slowly appearing behind Scott, clutching his legs as she pears from between them.

She laughs and quickly wipes the little tears that managed to pool at the corner of her eyes. “Mommy’s not crying,” she effortlessly lies to her youngest daughter. She crouches down and beckons her child closer, who immediately follows her command and initiates a hug.

“Be good, okay?” Tessa says while giving a million kisses to her chubby cheeks, her little backpack swaying back and forth as she does so. She gives one last kiss on Anna’s forehead. “Take care of your sisters for me.”

“Mmhmm,” Anna nods, clutching Beary in her arms and snuggling him tightly. “Bye, mommy.”

“You can still come with us, mama,” Sophie calls out from behind her father, tempting her mother to succumb and join their group.

“Yea, show those Adidas people who’s boss!” Maddie shouts in her support of her sister’s invitation, as she sits on her luggage and plays with it by going in circles.

Tessa is about to give a stern look to reprimand her when she sees Scott shrugs nonchalantly. “She’s right, you know.” He gives a mischievous grin with a twinkle in his eye. “It’s never too late.”

“You know I can’t do that, Scott,” she explains herself as she soothes Anna, who has begun to cling to her again and burying her face on her stomach. “You guys go ahead while I finish up work. Mmmkay? I’ll see you in a week, I promise.” She ends her sentence combing through Anna’s soft hair.

“Gonna miss you, mommy,” she mumbles against her sweater.

Tessa’s heart breaks into two. Why is this so hard for her? She knows she’ll be joining them in Florida in another five days, fulfilling their promise of almost three weeks’ worth of fun vacation time with their children after coming back home from the tour. Even if their children have given their stamp of approval for her and Scott to leave them over long periods of time (“It’s okay, mama. Really.”), Tessa still feels slightly guilty for abandoning them. It’s getting harder to leave her family.

Even if it’s just for a week.

“I’m gonna miss you too, Annie,” she gives one last, tight hug to her child, before guiding her back to the direction of her older sisters.

“Okay, Scott. You better go and-”

Scott steps forward and swoops his wife into his arms for a goodbye kiss. Tessa immediately deepens it further and places both her hands on the sides of his face.

_This man._

His hands wander over her neck.

_Whom I love so much._

He breaks a kiss to give her one last proper hug (and because their children have started coughing loudly to protest their PDA).

“See you soon.”

“I know.”

Scott gives her a quick kiss goodbye before turning around and grinning at his patiently awaiting children. “Come on, kiddos! We’re going to Disneyworld!” he pretends to hurriedly jog to the security checkpoint, making his daughters walk faster too.

“Not without momma!” Maddie corrects him as she pushes her own luggage in front of her.

Scott chuckles and ruffles through her hair, to much of her annoyance. “Yea, a week playing at the beach, THEN Disneyworld with mom.”

Tessa waits and observes her little family going through security, with Scott helping them lift their bags unto the conveyor belt and taking off their jackets. One by one, the girls wave a distant goodbye to their watching mother, who returns an almost-tearful wave back.

The last person she sees is her husband, who stops for a moment, suddenly in his tracks before joining their children.

Scott turns around and flashes a comforting smile to her. And waves.

_Oh, I can’t wait to see you again._

Tessa smiles and waves back.

_It’s only a matter of_

He disappears amongst the crowd.

_Time._

**Author's Note:**

> thank u, next.


End file.
